With the rapid development of networks, new services such as 4K video are constantly emerging, imposing ever-increasing requirements on bandwidths. Additionally,faced with competition from multi-service operators (MSOs), traditional operators want to improve bandwidths in order to strengthen their competitiveness.Operators will thus inevitably modernize fixed networks and supply a more enhanced bandwidth experience to users, while satisfying the requirements of networkdevelopment and commercial competition.

Three Problems of Fixed Network Modernization

In recent years, operators have invested tremendously in copper networks, and there are many copper line resources. As new technologies, such as vectoring andG.fast, create breakthroughs and become more commercially available, copper lines are able to provide an access bandwidth of 100 Mbit/s or even 1000 Mbit/s.Operators hope to strengthen broadband competitiveness based on commercial scenarios and copper line resources, and inherit traditional services, in order toincrease revenue and maximize commercial value. As a result, operators need to correctly manage the following problems during fixed network modernization.

How to Plan a Network to Ensure Reasonable Investment

In reusing copper line resources and site resources on existing networks, operators can maximize their return on investment (ROI) based on commercial scenarios and the bandwidth requirements of end users.

Fixed network modernization faces the following challenges: massive port migration and service data migration, complexly structured and inaccurate existing networks data, short network reconstruction, migration and delivery periods. By integrating resources on existing networks, optimizing the delivery process, and improving operation accuracy with the help of automation tools, operators can shorten the period during which new and old networks coexist, reduce O&M costs, and quickly provision services to get a head start.

How to Perform a Smooth Migration and Minimize Impact on Services

Network reconstruction involves various services on existing networks where traditional enterprise private line services exist for a long time. Operators should make sure new networks can seamlessly adapt to existing services for smooth network evolution. A migration solution is expected to ensure accuracy, shorten the service interruption period, and ensure favorable end user experience.

Huawei's fixed network modernization service solution provides integrated services that cover an entire network life cycle. With powerful tool platforms, three core capabilities, and customized migration solutions, the solution can address the concerns of operators and ensure successful broadband acceleration and network reconstruction.

GNEEC Cloud Platform Ensures Successful Network Reconstruction

GNEEC Cloud focuses on network reconstruction delivery and evaluation, and supports integrated services in the IP, microwave, optical network, and access network domains. The standard operation process of GNEEC Cloud is able to streamline data flows and task flows, reduce data forwarding and misoperations, and simplify the delivery process. The professional tools embedded in GNEEC Cloud can significantly improve delivery efficiency. The TCO and total value of ownership (TVO) analysis tool can help customers assess the TCO and TVO trends before and after network reconstruction, and provides accurate investment analysis and suggestions.

Three Core Capabilities Provided by Customized Solutions

On-demand Planning for Reasonable Investment

By using the site planning tool embedded in GNEEC Cloud and the functions of identifying value areas and intelligently selecting sites, Huawei's on-demand planning service solution reuses resources on existing networks and provides differentiated bandwidths that significantly strengthen the competitiveness of customer networks. Value areas are divided into high-value, medium-value, and low-value areas based on scientific modeling analysis which takes channel resources, user density, business districts/suburban areas, geographical location, and cost-effectiveness into consideration. Map information marking target areas is analyzed, converted, automatically presented and marked on a geographic information system (GIS) map. A map showing selected sites, information about new sites, and a device configuration list are automatically output with one click. In addition, network reconstruction TCO and TVO can be assessed. A knapsack algorithm is embedded in GNEEC Cloud, to automatically output a site plan based on bandwidth reachability, and ensure accurate site selection and optimal cost-effectiveness.

The site planning tool was successfully applied in the S carrier project for the first time. According to the early-phase network plan of S carrier, network construction required investment exceeded their budget greatly and per-CO design required 10 persons per day. Huawei implemented differentiated bandwidths based on intelligent planning, thereby reducing the network construction investment to 30 million Euros, and improving the per-CO design efficiency to one person per day, and the network reconstruction delivery efficiency by almost 30%. Customer investment was thus protected, services were quickly provisioned, and competitiveness regarding the customer network was strengthened. Huawei's solution won high praise from the customer.

Quick Delivery to Shorten TTM

Quick delivery is always a concern of customers in broadband acceleration projects. Due to the long network reconstruction period, new services cannot be quickly provisioned, so operators miss the best opportunities in competitions. In addition, the long period during which new and old networks coexist wastes O&M costs.

As a tool platform that plays multiple roles and concurrently processes multiple tasks, GNEEC Cloud integrates multiple migration tools, such as consolidation design, site planning, and Smart Dial-up test APP, that implement service analysis, data conversion, service migration, and integration acceptance. In this way, task and data flows are streamlined, the migration efficiency is improved, and misoperations are reduced. In addition, the standard operation process of GNEEC Cloud can manage all tasks together and visualize the progress of each operation. This enables operators to check the delivery progress in real time and identify delivery risks.

In the broadband and narrowband synergy network reconstruction project of T carrier, there were more than 6 million lines for users on the existing network, and the delivery period was short. In the first nine months, only five sites were delivered to T carrier due to a lack of automatic network reconstruction methods. Utilizing a series of tools, Huawei was able to deliver five sites within two and a half months. Quick service provisioning and smooth service migration resulted in high praise for Huawei and a much larger order from the customer.

Smooth Migration to Minimize Impact on Services

The access network directly affects end users. After dozens of years of development, devices from multiple vendors coexist, various services are provisioned, and the network is complexly structured. How to ensure existing services are not affected during network reconstruction is a problem that needs to be addressed.

By using Huawei's fixed network modernization service solution, data can be converted between up to 50 types of access devices with a maximum of 10 vendors, and all existing services can be inherited. Customized migration solutions, such as the jumper duplexing solution, ensure smooth service migration without user awareness. Simultaneous ringing migration solutions ensure around-the-clock implementation, efficiently and accurately implement data and port migrations, and shorten the service interruption period, accelerating high-quality and smooth deployment of new networks.

Huawei also provides multiple customized reuse and reconstruction solutions. For example, site reuse solutions such as Re-shell and Topbox, and cable reuse solutions such as transfer cables for the reuse of resources and devices on existing networks, reduce changes to existing networks, lower investment, and implement quick delivery. These solutions are widely applied on projects implemented by B carrier, S carrier, and T carrier, and are favorably acknowledged by customers.

In conclusion, Huawei's fixed network modernization service solution can help operators fully assess copper line resources on existing networks, maximize ROI of operators, reduce risks, and improve the entire delivery efficiency of network reconstruction. In addition, network migration solutions for various scenarios and diverse users ensure efficient, smooth, and secure migration of service data on existing networks.